Midnight Flames
by Heldon16
Summary: On the night after the final battle, Hermione finds a broken Ron sat in the common room. ONESHOT Ron


**A/N - This is a ONE SHOT which I wrote in my spare time between writing Chapter Seventeen of _"Looking Through The Eagle's Eyes" _and Chapter Seven of _"Dreamland". _It takes place the night after the final battle. **

Hermione awoke when it was still dark, moonlight shinning through the dormitory window as Parvarti lay in the bed beside her, on the floor in sleeping bags lay Fleur and Mrs Weasley as well as other people who's faces lay in the shadows. She realised she was actually sharing a bed and looked sideways to see Ginny Weasley lay beside her (both girls happened to be fully clothed, so don't go getting no idea people) . Hermione sighed as the events of earlier came back to her; Fred Weasley's empty face, Hagird carrying a lifeless Harry, Snape bleeding to death, Harry and Voldemort facing off, her and Ron's kiss - oh my god she thought, suddenly sitting up in horror, she had kissed Ron, what if he knew how she felt?, he would never feel the same and she knew that, but then again, he had kissed back, danced with her at his brother's wedding. Many signs that he did feel the same, signs that couldn't be in her head.

But he also left her.

She suddenly felt cold as she wrapped her arms tight around herself, he had left her, that night in tent after the awful argument with Harry, he had left and how could he have done that if he cared for her half as much as she did for him. She remembered his face, as he mistaken thought she had picked Harry over him, the anger in his eyes, but she thought she had saw his heartbreak too, and it was selfish of her to hope that he had felt such pain, pain which almost destroyed her - because it would mean he cared. Realising sleep was hopeless she quietly climbed from the bed, thinking a trip to the kitchens is in order. Climbing out of bed, she stepped over the people who were sleeping on the floor and exited the dormitory and head down towards the common room.

She noticed the orange glow of the fire before she reached it, what she didn't notice however was Ronald Weasley who was sat staring into the fire, his face was pale and his eyes bloodshot from tears, his shaggy red hair was singed, mattered with dirt and appeared thinner than ever before. Hermione wasn't sure, she wanted so much to be there for him, to help him but she didn't know where to start, he had just lost a brother and she didn't know anything that could make him better or take his pain anyway. Before she knew what she was doing though, she sat down next to him on the couch - and still he didn't notice her, he continued to stare at the fire.

"You're up late" he said suddenly, still not looking at her

"Just woke up" she answered "how long you been down here?"

"Don't know, couldn't sleep and Neville snores" he said, no humour in his voice, the Ron she knew - the Ron she loved would have smiled at that. "You okay?" he asked, and she couldn't help but restrain a smile, Ron putting someone else first, though it was hinted with sadness as she realised that was what likely lead to his outburst in the tent, putting people's problems first and allowing his own demons to build inside him - and it seemed to her she might have learned nothing - typical Ron she thought.

"I….I - don't really know" Hermione spoke, she had tried to say "I'm okay" but couldn't bring herself to do so, she wanted to ask Ron the same question, but something inside her told her that he would do one of two things, lie and say he was okay, or break down completely and she wouldn't know how to help him.

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours, though the clock only said five minutes, Hermione had forgotten all about going to the kitchens, she wanted to be with Ron when he opened up, when the dam holding back his emotions finally broke.

"How's Ginny?" he asked, finally turning to her and her breath got caught in her throat, his blue eyes seemed so broken, as if someone had smashed a jigsaw to pieces. "She's fine" she answered, her voice sounding distant "she's sleeping at the moment" and with that Ron gave a little empty smile "well at least someone is bloody sleeping"

"language Ronald" Hermione said instantly and Ron gave a small chuckle, and before she could think she spoke again "I'm sorry about Fred" and Ron seemed to pale a little bit more

"What you sorry for?, not your fault" he spoke "It was mine" he spoke, and Hermione looked at him confused "If I hadn't got myself so involved in the bloody mess, Fred would have never been in the corridor" he spoke, the pain in his voice clear, suddenly however he chuckled as he threw himself back onto the backrest "bloody hell, I sound like Harry" he chuckled and Hermione couldn't help but smile - That was more like Ron, a immature, tactless attempt at humour, however he looked more serious once more "but maybe if I did something different, if I had got there faster, if we didn't spend so much time in the room of requirements, if we hadn't kissed, then I might have been able to save him" he spoke, but she wasn't hearing him, her heart was in too much pain - he regretted kissing her, he regretted it, the pain was too much and she felt like she wanted to cry, she knew it was wrong to have kissed him, she knew he would never feel the same way. Why did she keep getting her hopes up, hadn't sixth year told her he would never like her, she was just a friend to him.

"You….regret….- you regret kissing me?" she asked, her voice small and breaking and Ron looked at her, and a look of realization appearing on his face, which was replaced by one of horror as he sat up quickly "oh god no Hermione, I don't regret it, I bloody love you, I was just saying that maybe….." but Hermione wasn't listening, all the pain had gone from with her, he loved her - Ronald Weasley had just confessed his LOVE for her, before she knew what she was doing she leant forward and kissed him on the lips once more. She felt his body stiffen and for one terrifying moment she thought she had got it all wrong until she felt his lips move with hers, and her head was spinning, she felt so light headed she could fly - she was kissing Ronald Weasley, was she dreaming?, was she still in bed, it felt so real, surely the world couldn't be that cruel.

And then his lips were gone.

Hermione couldn't understand why, but a second later she heard a sob and realised the dam had broken, and her eyes opened to Ron who had turned away from her, his whole body shaking in sobs for his fallen brother. Hermione couldn't help but feel her own tears coming as her heart broke for him.

"Ron" she spoke "you know that Fred isn't truly gone, he's properly the life of the party up there, with Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin and -

"My uncles" Ron said suddenly, and Hermione blinked, she didn't know why, but she had never heard Ron mention his two uncles to her, she knew they had died in the first war but nothing else, Hermione however continued "and he's properly looking down on you right now, and hating that your upset, and he's always going to be looking out for you" and as she said this Ron chuckled once more and turned to her "even when I'm on the toilet, because that's bloody disturbing"

"Ron you are the most insensitive person I have ever met, you do realise that don't you" Hermione sighed as Ron threw himself back down into the couch seemingly having composed himself. Hermione sat back, leaning in closer to him as they watched the flames in a not-so-awkward silence.


End file.
